Combination board and card game



y 1962 G. o. THIBAULT 3,033,572

COMBINATION BOARD AND CARD GAME Filed Oct. 28, 1959 HEARTS N 6 2o I PLAYERS (J) Lu O D. U)

00 TITLE CARDS FUND In A A H 01 HIGH 3 DIAMOND POINT U a CASINO CASINO 3 F|G.| QJIO98765432O J ;-DIAMONDS 24f 2oii 22f x Y J F|G.2

FIG. 3

2s 2s INVENTOR.

GILBERT o. THIBAULT KENWAY, JENNEY WITTFR I; Hli DQFTH ATTORNEYS United Sates Pate Ofiice 3,033,572 Patented May 8, 1962 3,033,572 COMBINATION BOARD AND CARD GAME Gilbert 0. Thibault, 19 Margin St., Peabody, Mass. Filed Oct. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 349,203 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-435) This invention relates to parlor games and more particularly concerns a combination board and card game playable by two or more persons using a playing board, a deck of cards, player pieces or tokens and dice.

The most significant single element of the invention is the playing board which is divided into spaces each representative of a card in a standard deck of playing cards. Each player takes a turn in throwing a set of dice and is able to acquire title to a particular space by landing his token on the space and paying a fixed charge. Ownership of a particular space is indicated by individual playing cards delivered to the owner.

All monies from the sale of space and other fees and penalties incurred by the player during the course of the game are, for the most part, deposited in selected locations on the board and normally distributed to the various winners at the conclusion of the game. Four suits are represented on the board and the primary object of the game is to acquire ownership of as many diamond cards as possible. When there are no more diamond cards available the game ends.

This general description is only by way of introduction and the objects and features of the game will become clearer upon a detailed description of the various parts of the game and the rules governing its conduct. This description will also include reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a game board arranged according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the dice used to determine the moves of each player, and

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of two player pieces or tokens that may be used to represent a players position on the board.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character It) generally indicates a flat, rectangular playing board which, for convenience, may be folded along the center line thereof. The playing board is provided with a number of illustrated rectangular card spaces 12 organized about the marginal portion of the board with each space bearing a representation of the different playing card. In a preferred embodiment of this invention only the playing cards from the two spot to the queen are used with one suit arranged in order along each side of the board. While the particular cards are shown represented only by Arabic numerals and letters, it may be desirable from a standpoint of merchandising to reproduce on each space the particular cards in their more commonly accepted colors and forms.

In the central portion of the board adjacent each corner there appears four additional spaces 14, 16, 18 and 20, three of which 14, 16 and 18 are circular, while the fourth, 20, is rectangular in outline. The rectangular space 20 is preferably labeled with the legend Title Cards and, at the beginning of the game, a standard deck of playing cards, less all aces and kings is placed thereon. During the play of the game, when a player takes title to a particular card space on the board (as will be presently explained) he is given a corresponding card from the deck as evidence of his title.

The three circular spaces 14, 16 and 18 are used as collecting areas for monies paid into the house by the players during the game. These monies are payable for several different reasons and are therefore divided into three separate funds. These funds for convenience may be labeled Players Fund represented by the circular area 14; High Point Casino, represented by the circular area 16; and Diamond Casino, represented by the circular area 18. The monies used in this game may be chips or coins such as are suitable for collection within the limited confines of the collection spaces. Cups or pots may be placed thereon to serve as receptacles for these chips or coins.

FIG. 2 illustrates a set of three dice which are thrown by each player in succession. It will be seen that the two dice 20 and 22 bear the Arabic numerals 1 to 6 on their faces, whereas the die 24 displays the indicia of the four card suits. It will be noted that while four faces of this die display each of the four suits the remaining two sides are marked with an X. Any other symbol could be substituted for the X shown since it is only necessary that the mark thereon differ from that of the card suit indicia of the remaining four faces.

The function of the three dice of FIG. 2 is to provide chance means for determining each players position on the board. In practice, when the dice are thrown, the die 24 determines the suit and the total of the dice 20 and 22 determines the particular card in the suit. For example, assume a throw in which the dice 20 and 22 turned up as 5 and 3 respectively and die 24 showed the diamond. This would of course mean that the 8 of diamonds had been thrown and the player would move his token to that space. Throws totalling 11 and 12 correspond to the face cards jack and queen. Throws in which X turns up on the die 24 have special significance as will appear in the rules of the game.

In FIG. 3 there are illustrated two typical player pieces or tokens 26 and 28 that may be used in the game. Each player is represented on the board by a token which is normally moved to whatever card space is indicated by the players throw of the dice. Obviously if more than two players are involved the number of tokens will be increased accordingly. In practice it has been found that this game is best played when the number of players is between two and eight.

The Rules The game may start as soon as the board is arranged with the deck of title cards in its proper position and each player in possession of a token. Each player in turn throws the three dice and places his token on the card space designated by the dice. Upon landing on a particular space the player has the option of purchasing the space if it is not already owned by another player. The price for each card space may be conveniently set at two cents, which sum is deposited in the Diamond Casino pot. The corresponding title card from the title card deck is given to the purchaser as an indication of his ownership of the card space. Once ownership of a card space is established any player thereafter landing on that space is obliged to pay the title holder thereof a fine corresponding to the face value of the card. For instance, for the 2 of any suit the fine will be two cents, the 3 will be three cents, etc., with the jack costing the trespasser eleven cents, and the queen twelve cents.

In the event that the player lands on a space already occupied by the token of another player then those two players shall wage war with one another. Each player waging war shall throw the dice once with the player rolling the highest number being the victor. The losing player shall surrender his highest diamond card to the victor. If no diamond cards are owned by the loser he may surrender any card of his choice except the queen of spades.

The game ends when all of the cards in the diamond suit have been purchased. The player who has accumulated the greatest number of diamond cards shall be the winner of the Diamond Casino pot. In the event of a tie, those involved will add up the face value of their diamond cards and the player having the highest total will prevail. Should a tie still exist the players involved will divide the monies evenly amongst themselves.

To add variety and interest to the game special rules are applied when a player rolls the dice and turns up an X on the die 24. These rules, which may be printed on the surface of the board for the convenience of the player are as follows:

(1) A player throwing an X-2 must purchase the queen of diamonds for twice its face value (twenty-four cents) from the present owner. Title is immediately transferred to the player throwing the X-2. Should the queen of diamonds not yet be owned the player has the option of purchasing the space at its face value (twelve cents).

(2) A player rolling an X-3 will roll the numbered dice 20 and 22 twice. Should these two rolls add up to 16 or more, then the player will collect whatever monies have accumulated in the Players Fund 14.

(3) A player rolling an X-4 shall remain at his present position but shall throw the numbered dice again and pay the owner of the two diamonds twice the amount shown on the dice. If the two of diamonds is not owned, the player may purchase it at the regular price of two cents.

(4) In the event of X'5 is rolled by a player the title holder of the queen of spades will pay to that player a fine of twenty cents.

(5) A player rolling an X-6 shall pay five cents into the High Point Casino 16.

(6) Upon rolling an X-7 the player shall remain at his present position on the board but shall take over ownership of the queen of spades. There is no payment required for this transfer of title.

(7) A player rolling an X-8 shall donate ten cents to the Players Fund 14.

(8) A player rolling an X-9 shall pay ten cents into the High Point Casino.

(9) Upon a throw of X-10 the player shall remain at his present position but shall throw the numbered dice again and pay to the owner of the three of diamonds twice the amount shown on the dice. If this card is unowned the player may purchase it at its face value.

(10) A player rolling an X-ll shall pay a fine of five cents into the Players Fund 14.

(11) A player rolling an X-12 shall collect ten cents from each player participating in the game.

At the conclusion of the game, when all the diamond cards have been purchased, the several pots are distributed to their respective winners. the Diamond Casino 18 is won by the player owning the greatest number of diamond cards.

At the end of the game the various players shall add up the face values of their title cards and the player having the highest count shall be the winner of the High Point Casino 16. The player having the best poker hand in title cards shall win whatever money may be left in the Players Fund at the games end.

From what has been described herein it will be appreciated that the game involves an interesting combination As already indicated above,

of skill and chance. The position of each player is determined by chance, yet, there is a certain element of discretion in that the player is ordinarily given the option of purchasing or not purchasing a particular card. It will be readily apparent that the queen of spades is an nude-- sirable holding and that the unfortunate owner will be most anxious to divest himself of it. The many op portunities of receiving as well as paying fines, not only between the players but also into the several pots, add to the element of risk that is present in the game. Thenovel manner in which playing cards have been incorporated into a board game together with the unique dice for' determining the moves of the players make the game unusually interesting.

The length of the game of course varies, but an averagegame will usually last in the neighborhood of an hour, so that several games may easily be played in the course of an evening.

Obviously a great many variations may be made to the game without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, since the players do not follow any particular course or path the various card spaces may be rearranged in adjacent columns rather than marginally above the board. Also the fees and penalties may be altered to suit the desires of particular players. Many minor modifications may also be made to the rules set forth herein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A board game including a rectangular board having each side divided into spaces, each space bearing a designation to represent cards of a different suit and each space further bearing a value designation, in combination with three dice, one of which has a different card suit designation depicted on each of four faces said die suit designations being identical to the space suit designations, and the other two dice having on faces thereof means for indicating different ones of the value designations of said spaces.

2. A board game as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that the card-representing spaces of the board are eleven in number on each side of the board, the suitindicating die carries non-suit symbols on two of its faces, and the game includes also a deck of cards comprising four diiferent suit groups carrying value designations corresponding to those of the board spaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Salomon Feb. 5, 1957 

